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nabisteph's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Mental illness
mbayram's review against another edition
Not really for me. It had some good bits but generally it felt slow and the characters didn't keep me engaged enough to keep reading. I kept waiting for something to happen but it never really did?
Even after Alice and Felix go off to Italy, their relationship stays at the 'why do these characters like each other?' stage. They eventually sleep together and yet it felt so anticlimactic somehow. While these two did have some interesting moments together, there wasn't enough for me to buy into it.
Eileen and Simon were way more interesting to me but even with them I felt like at points the writing dragged on.
Eileen and Simon were way more interesting to me but even with them I felt like at points the writing dragged on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
dprekta's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A good read for someone in their 20s who wants to validate their depressive, sometimes chaotic, nonsensical and emotional thoughts they wouldn’t want to talk about out loud. The characters are very flawed and you might end up hating the way they live and communicate - but I think that’s what Sally was trying to do with this book. Make it flawed, annoying, sometimes hilarious and sometimes awkward - so you find yourself wanting to tell the characters “ok this is what you have to do, it’s as simple as that, that is how you solve this” perfectly imitating just how life is. You expect it to be rational, though it barely is but you put up with it. That is the feeling the book leaves you with it. I’d argue that is cool.
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug use and Sexual content
hello_lovely13's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Mental illness
literallysam's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It was my first book by Sally Rooney and I think I may have found my new favourite author- I absolutely devoured it and I think it's not so easy to write a review for such a profound book.. which made me feel so many things.
BWWAY is not like those traditional plot-driven novels and is more character-focused and introspective. It is all about the vibes and the profound, intellectual, and elevated conversations between Roony's authentic, flawed and imperfect protagonists. The book also ventures into a series of historical anecdotes and social commentary through alice and eileen’s email correspondence. I loved the emails- they were so thought-provoking and became an instrumental part of the novel.
It's amazing how well the author articulated the things that we all feel and the way we all behave in real life. Sally has tackled the complexities of the characters & their relationships with so much sophistication. I've read reviews about how people can't relate to the characters because they are in their late 20s but that wasn't the case with me. I felt this deep connection with them and could actually resonate with them- A LOT. The characters simultaneously crave and reject romantic intimacy and continuously question their own emotions and intentions. So their self analysis was so enjoyable to read.
There were times when the characters were a bit insufferable and annoying (felix ,most insufferable, A-hole character) but still they were so human that even then I could understand what they were feeling and going through and the fact that I could relate to them so much just made the book even more genuine for me. The author has written the most innermost thoughts in such an exquisite precision of details that it can't be more accurate. All I can say is that I'm not the same person I was before this book.🫶🏼
BWWAY is not like those traditional plot-driven novels and is more character-focused and introspective. It is all about the vibes and the profound, intellectual, and elevated conversations between Roony's authentic, flawed and imperfect protagonists. The book also ventures into a series of historical anecdotes and social commentary through alice and eileen’s email correspondence. I loved the emails- they were so thought-provoking and became an instrumental part of the novel.
It's amazing how well the author articulated the things that we all feel and the way we all behave in real life. Sally has tackled the complexities of the characters & their relationships with so much sophistication. I've read reviews about how people can't relate to the characters because they are in their late 20s but that wasn't the case with me. I felt this deep connection with them and could actually resonate with them- A LOT. The characters simultaneously crave and reject romantic intimacy and continuously question their own emotions and intentions. So their self analysis was so enjoyable to read.
There were times when the characters were a bit insufferable and annoying (felix ,most insufferable, A-hole character) but still they were so human that even then I could understand what they were feeling and going through and the fact that I could relate to them so much just made the book even more genuine for me. The author has written the most innermost thoughts in such an exquisite precision of details that it can't be more accurate. All I can say is that I'm not the same person I was before this book.🫶🏼
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Medical trauma
avasbookmark's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
fairytalefootnotes's review against another edition
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Abortion, Drug use, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy
zo__ish's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Beautiful World, Where Are You is just as heart wrenching and beautiful as Sally Rooney’s previous novels. I gave this one a 4 star rating only for personal reasons: Rooney’s characters tend to be challenging to fall into a rhythm with and the pace changes a bit throughout the book, but I think that means it mimics reality so well. I always have a hard time rating her books. But I love it. I love the ending. I love and am frustrated by being held at a distance from her characters, having to decipher what they mean by their words and actions as they decipher them, themselves. BWWAY has so many quotes and pages that I cannot stop thinking about, my phone is littered with pictures of pages and I plan to copy them into a notebook. <33
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, he said. She rolled her shoulders luxuriously against the bedsheets.
Tell me everything, she said.” (p. 190)
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, he said. She rolled her shoulders luxuriously against the bedsheets.
Tell me everything, she said.” (p. 190)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Mental illness and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
risemini's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical content, Infidelity, Drug use, Classism, Blood, Alcoholism, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship